


not again.

by Nerd_of_Camelot



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [3]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne's Parent, Gen, Love, Not Beta Read, Past Character Death, Trust, Vulnerability, dickanddamiweek2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerd_of_Camelot/pseuds/Nerd_of_Camelot
Summary: Day 3: Trust |Adoption Papers| "You're shaking""Richard, you're shaking." Damian said."I'm okay." Dick promised."I was not afraid. I knew you would not let me be harmed. Not again."
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201463
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72
Collections: DickAndDamiWeek2021





	not again.

Of the many things that Dick hoped Damian had, trust in him was one of the most important.

He trusted Damian, and he had to hope that that trust was returned. That Damian knew that Dick was always going to be there for him when he needed it. That Dick would always drop everything to help if Damian asked him to. That Dick would do anything for him.

Now, after… After Damian’s death, after Dick’s own death and the subsequent  _ months _ of isolation, after coming back and being blown off by the rest of the family, finding Damian alive once more and falling back into each other, he could only hope that trust was there. That, like his trust for Damian, Damian’s trust for him hadn’t faded when he’d failed him all that time ago, when he’d been to slow to save his life.

“Robin!” He yelled, twisting to get to his feet, taking off at a dead run toward his― toward Damian.

Toward Damian and the rogue he was fighting, the rogue he was not faring very well at all against.

His cry did little to distract Damian, but the rogue turned their head as if in surprise.

Damian took the opportunity to kick them in the face.

The rogue yelled, furious, attention back on Damian in an instant. Their knife was slicing through the air, almost in slow motion. Aiming for Damian’s chest. Point down, ready to pierce through, ready to kill him. And Dick thought,  _ God, please, not again. _

He flung himself forward, into the path of the blade, and he barely felt it when it grazed his side and tore the suit.

It didn’t matter.

He threw himself into the fight with Damian at his side, and soon the rogue was taken care of.

And there’d barely been any bloodshed.

And Damian was safe.

He had the beginnings of a bruise mottling his chin on the left side, and he was panting, out of breath, exerted beyond his current abilities for the first time in a long time. But he was safe. He hadn’t been cut. He’d only been hit twice.

Still, Dick couldn’t help checking him over once they were alone.

“Richard,” Said Damian, as he did so, “You’re shaking.”

Was he?

He drew in a breath, and it shuddered, so he figured he probably was.

“I’m okay,” He promised, even as he registered that he could  _ see _ his hands trembling as he checked Damian’s bruise, “Don’t worry about me, I’m okay.”

Damian pursed his lips. “It seems that I should be the one saying that to you, since you are the one who is rattled.”

A shaky laugh. “Fair point, kiddo.”

He left it be for the moment. Waited until they’d arrived at the Manor to speak any further.

The Cave was empty, Bruce and the others likely all still out on patrol, and Dick was glad. It was a miracle he’d even been able to take Damian out tonight to begin with. Usually Bruce was pricklier when Dick treated Damian as  _ his _ Robin… Tonight had been the first time in a long time that they’d teamed up. The first time in a long time that Bruce took Tim, instead, and Cass and Steph went out together.

He swallowed.

He was still shaking.

He ignored it as he and Damian changed out of their costumes, back into casual clothes. As they made their way up into the Manor.

He thought he might stay tonight ― it would make him feel just a little better to have Damian only a few rooms away.

“You are still shaking,” Damian informed him, as they got Damian situated in his room.

“I’m okay,” Dick assured him again.

And his― And  _ Damian _ squinted. Pursed his lips again. “If you were okay, Richard, you would not still be shaking nearly an hour later.” He paused, then, face softening in a way Dick knew only a handful of people ever got to see, “What is wrong? Are you injured?”

“I’m not,” He promised, weakly, “I’m not hurt. I’m okay, really. I just…”

“You just…?” Prompted the young teen after a moment.

And Dick sighed. There was little use denying it, or trying to keep it from the boy. That was how he and Bruce ended up with such a strained relationship ― Bruce’s inability and unwillingness to tell Dick his worries. His problems. His feelings. Especially where Dick happened to be involved in them.

“When I saw them swinging the knife at you like that,” He started, as carefully as he could, “I panicked.”

Damian’s brows drew together, lips forming a frown. He didn’t ask why, or really even respond other than that.

So Dick soldiered on. “I thought… I thought I was going to lose you again. And I couldn’t handle it.”

The boy’s expression didn’t change, but he did open his mouth, saying, “That would explain why you allowed yourself to be harmed and still haven’t tended to the cut.”

Dick blinked, “Wait, I actually got cut? I thought I just tore the suit.”

Damian blinked in return. Then, “Tt. You are an idiot, Richard.” Quieter, more careful, “I thought of that day, too, when I saw the knife arching down,” He admitted, “But I was not afraid. I knew… I knew you would not let me be harmed. Not again.”

Dick almost choked on air. Really, an admission like that was… He never expected to hear it. He’d joke that he’d thought he’d die before he ever heard anything like it, but he already  _ had _ died before hearing it. Still, it was enough to knock the wind out of him.

He leaned in to hug Damian, and tellingly enough Damian hugged back without any complaint.

“I love you,” Dick uttered, voice choked and cracking, “You know that, right? I still love you just as much as I did before, maybe more.”

Damian squeezed him. Took a breath.

And then, another thing he never thought he would hear ― “I love you too, Richard. Very much.”

It was whispered into his collar, so soft he might not have heard it if the air was just a little louder, if they were just a little further away from each other. And he knew it took a lot of effort for Damian to say it, that he probably felt drained admitting two things that left him feeling very vulnerable. That letting himself open up, even just briefly, even to Dick, must haven taken a lot out of him.

So he just squeezed him back and held him for a long moment.

“The cut,” Was the first thing said, after that long moment, whispered by Damian, “Is not deep. Nor large. It will likely do well with a simple bandage. You should take care of it before Pennyworth sees it.”

“Right,” Dick agreed, slowly pulling back. Ruffling Damian’s hair and kissing his forehead, “You should get some rest, kiddo.”

“Mm.” He hummed, by way of agreement as he laid down in bed.

The door creaked open a hair, and in sauntered Titus, missing in action until that very moment. And Dick relaxed a little, seeing the dog. If anything happened, he would surely know within seconds ― Titus was loud. Titus was protective.

Titus hopped into bed when Damian patted the spot next to him, and with a final, “Love you,” He left the two of them to it.


End file.
